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Arts - Toronto Hotels .com

As a home to world-renowned performance groups, a thriving multicultural arts community, and a diverse range of galleries and theater spaces; as a sponsor of many international festivals--attracting film, music, dance, visual art, literature, and performances from around the globe: It's easy to see why Toronto is Canada's arts capitol and also a bright star among the world's top arts cities.

Toronto hosts 50-plus dance and ballet companies, six opera companies, two symphony orchestras, and a host of music and dance festivals. Classical and opera music lovers can find plenty to delight them. For dance enthusiasts, the Toronto Dance Theater offers cutting-edge, multimedia, modern and contemporary dance. Toronto's many theaters and festivals keep theatergoers busy. Highlights include the Soulpepper Theatre Company's repertoire of classics, the Canadian Stage Company's outdoor Shakespeare performances, and the large-scale Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival that takes place every June and features more than 11 venues and 130 participating national and international theater companies.

For film buffs, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) gives Sundance a run for its money, bringing in hundreds of independent films from around the world and over 300,000 public and movie-industry attendees. Other internationally recognized festivals include the daring Images Festival of Independent Film and Video, the Hot Docs documentary film festival, the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, and Inside Out, Toronto's lesbian and gay film festival.

Long known as a publishing hub, Toronto continues to cultivate its world-class literary reputation with large-scale readings and literature events. Most notably, Toronto's annual International Festival of Authors (IFOA) draws over 100 authors from over 20 countries.

In the visual arts, Toronto offers world-class museums such as the Royal Ontario Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA), as well as an array of art galleries, including the expansive Art Gallery of Ontario and the multicultural Gallery One. Toronto also puts on several unique art viewing opportunities, such as the annual Outdoor Art Exhibition and the all-night art show and celebration Blanche. Add to this impressive collection the multi-genre, citywide festivals of Luminato and the WinterCity Festival, and it becomes clear why Toronto has become an international destination for artists and art-lovers alike.